Irvine Hardball Tournament : Smythe, Short Power Metro Stars to 14-4 Victory

Tom Smythe and Jim Short each had a double and home run Saturday to lead the Metropolitan Baseball League of Orange County All-Stars to a 14-4 victory over the Collegiate Summer Baseball Assn. All-Stars at UC Irvine.

Smythe capped a five-run second with a two-run homer. The Metro All-Stars also got a two-run double from Tim Albert and a run-scoring single by Rob Donlan during the inning.

The Collegiate All-Stars got a two-run homer from John Morin in the bottom of the inning and a run in the third to cut the lead to 5-3. But in the sixth, the Metro All-Stars took advantage of shortstop Mark Fertig’s throwing error and Mike Castle’s wild pitch to extend its lead to 6-3.

The Metro stars then scored three runs in the seventh on Short’s double and run-scoring singles by Ed Garcia, Dwight Neade and Cory Ahart. They added four more in the eighth, three coming in on Short’s homer.

“Jim (Short) didn’t get to play much (last season) at Cypress College because there were two guys who were playing ahead of him who are now in the pros,” said Metro Coach Dave Torres, who also assists his son, Dave Jr., at Anaheim High School. “He was the odd man out at Cypress last season, but now, he’s getting to show what he can do, and he’ll get a lot more chances at Fullerton College (next year).”

Pitcher Jeff Kaneage, who gave up three runs on three hits in three innings, picked up the victory. Abel Galvin, who was charged with five runs in two innings for the collegiate stars, took the loss.

Notes

In the Irvine Baseball Assn. and Times Orange County Hardball Tournament losers’ bracket play Saturday, Laguna Hills defeated Estancia in nine innings, 8-6, Woodbridge beat Foothill, 5-4, Estancia defeated Foothill, 8-7, El Toro stormed Newport Harbor, 11-5, Servite defeated Canyon, 5-3, Huntington Beach beat Corona del Mar, 2-1, and Woodbridge beat Laguna Hills, 7-6.. . . Mater Dei and Tustin will play for the tournament championship at 4 p.m. today at UC Irvine. University and Capistrano Valley will play for third place at 1 p.m. In losers’ bracket play at Christ College today, Irvine will play Huntington Beach at 10 a.m. and Orange will play Corona del Mar at 1 p.m.